Besting the Digital System
Tips from an HR expert on how to successfully scale the dreaded online application
“I am an entry-level employee who just graduated from university. I am finding that most of the companies I am applying to rely on automated application systems and even impersonal Skype interviews, making it nearly impossible for me to use my references or get my resume to the top of the pile. What should I know about besting these systems?”
Smooth Operator
How former UPS logistics exec Jimmy Crabbé doubled a Sacramento plumbing business in less than 24 months
Think of it as The Deodorant Problem. If you’re marketing a brand, it’s easy to sling the sex appeal of wine, cars or a hot new phone. But what if the product is a tad mundane and even a little stinky? How do you convey the emotional appeal of, say, unclogging a toilet? If you’re Jimmy Crabbé, you crack this problem with an inspired move that no one saw coming.
You Look Like You Need a Vacation
6 tips for checking out and kicking back
You just got back from a trip? Me too. And I already need the next one. My name is Christine Calvin, and I take vacations. That’s right, I use all my PTO every year, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame. You should do the same — it’s going to cost your company either way.
We Need to Leave Prop. 13 Alone
Raising property taxes will mean death for small business
California’s business climate is well-known for being unfriendly. CEO Magazine has rated California as the worst state in which to do business for more than eight years running. Undoing Proposition 13’s provisions, as is currently being proposed, will make a big problem even worse by increasing taxes on the very businesses that create jobs and contribute to our economy.
Ted Talks
Senator Ted Gaines on Tesla, California's business climate and the future of taxes
A long-time small-business owner before entering politics, California Senator Ted Gaines has become a key figure in some of the most important political crusades facing the Sacramento region in recent years, including the battle to save the Kings and efforts to keep electric carmaker Tesla in the Golden State.
Spread the Love
True client appreciation requires a year-round strategy
While it may be tempting to wait until next year to tally up the cards and gifts you’ll need to send clients at the end of 2015, there are ways to show your supporters that you appreciate them year round. Here’s how to develop a year-round strategy without additional headaches.
A Call for Greater Food Literacy
What I learned and confirmed by cooking for celebrity chefs
Today there are two generations of Americans who don’t know how to cook. Processed food diets are a leading cause of rampant childhood obesity. There is a clear need for increased cooking and nutrition education, or food literacy, in schools.
Create the Future. Now.
The Sacramento Kings' Ryan Montoya scouts the globe for the best in tech
Ryan Montoya’s task is clear, straightforward and possibly, well, impossible: Turn the Sacramento Kings into the most technologically adept sports franchise in the world.
Checking Out
When was your last vacation?
Expedia.com recently released a report report showing Europeans earn nearly twice as many paid vacation days (28 yearly) as Americans, and that 54 percent of Americans feel “very or somewhat” vacation deprived. So when was the last time you took some time off?
Pro-Tips
Jimmy Crabbé’s 5-step process for turnarounds
After nearly two decades spent managing operations and logistics for global shipping powerhouse UPS, Belgium-born Jimmy Crabbé purchased Sacramento’s Bonney Plumbing, Heating, Air and Rooter. In less than two years, he’s doubled Bonney’s staff and its revenue. Here’s his strategy: